Well ... I've never been much of an NL fan ... but ... as a kid, we had close relatives in D.C. and when we visited every summer ... we always went to some of the "original" Senators' games ... then ... before the Marlins and Rays ... I had an affinity for the Braves simply because they were the team closest to Florida ... so ... I've continued to keep an eye on the Braves for a while ... and, then, on the new replacement version of the Senators ... even though the new D.C. team was in the "other" league! I actually thought that each had a fairly good chance to win it all before last season began, too! Both seemed to be pretty good ... but ... both are also $$$ teams (Atlanta maybe a little less so than D.C.) ... and I kind of go more for the lower-budget teams!
I saw various clips of interviews of Upton ... and he seemed genuinely emotional about leaving ... but ... after being in one place for nine years ... I think most 20-something-year-olds would probably feel that way about leaving wherever they had been for so long! I never did think he would end up with the kind of $$$ contract he did ... ESPECIALLY from the Braves ... but ... I guess it's always all about the money today! Frankly, I think he'll probably be warmly received and warmly regarded in Atlanta ... and that he'll appreciate it there ... and be appreciated ... as much or more so as here. (?)
All-in-all, in the National League, I guess the only teams I've really followed over time are the Braves (from the early days of Aaron and Matthews), Mets and Marlins ... and I did take a shine to the Expos when they were originally formed in Montreal ... and have followed them back then and since they moved to D.C. (Guess I'm probably an "NL East fan" ... with my feelings about the Phillies being the NL East version of how I feel about the AL East Red Sox ... like you feel about the Yankees!) However ... I REALLY don't go for interleague games at all. I'd just as soon see those games eliminated completely ... with the season shortened accordingly to better accomodate playoffs weather in the northern and eastern MLB cities. But ... again ... it's all about the money. (Which is why I tend to enjoy watching minor league and college games ... BTBB ... before the big buck$.)
Right now, the only former Rays I've been following are Jaso and Ruggiano ... but I'll be keeping an eye on Shields and Davis, too. But ... I'm really psyched to see how the Rays starting rotation shakes out ... and how the new position players ... and Longoria ... work out. I really think Myers is going to do for the Rays in 2013 what Longoria did in 2008 ... and I think Escobar, Loney ... and Gimenez ... are going to make an awesome difference! (?) I also think Fuld ... if they play him everyday until Myers shows up ... will also make a big impact. (?) Personally, I'd very much like to see a more-or-less "fixed" line-up, i.e., Fuld-Jennings-Joyce in the outfield and Longoria-Escobar-Zobrist-Loney in the infield ... but ... I'm afraid Maddon will continue to mess around with Joyce, Zobrist and Rodriguez/Roberts ... along with Molina-Lobaton-Gimenez. (?)
Hopefully ... Friedman doesn't do any last-minute dumpster-diving!